Mr Douglas Crawford: Tell us the vote.
Mr Douglas Crawford: There has been a lot of laughter about the new clause, but I point out that at least 20,000 jobs are involved directly in the whisky industry, apart from those not directly involved. As has been said, there is considerable short-time working in the industry. I am appalled at the cynicism of the Conservative Front Bench in tabling this new clause. The Scottish National Party has constantly...
Mr Douglas Crawford: I am not jealous. The SNP has constantly sought on Finance Bills, as the Treasury Bench knows, to reduce the duty on whisky. We are very interested in the jobs of our countrymen in this respect. The clause affects the matter but lightly. I understand that the once-for-all cost is £150 million to £160 million over three years. 11.45 p.m. The Liberal Party view on whisky is worth...
Mr Douglas Crawford: No, do not confuse me with the facts. According to Adam Bergius, who is chairman of the Scotch Whisky Association, in the last financial year, although the duty on whisky has been increased, the amount of revenue from whisky decreased by £20 million. Those are not my figures, but those of the Scotch Whisky Association. There has been a spot of bother over whisky in the EEC. It was decided...
Mr Douglas Crawford: Just how much of that profit was gained from whisky?
Mr Douglas Crawford: I hope that the Committee will forgive me if I do not take up the latter points made by the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton). This is not the place to discuss such matters. The debate is not just about the widening of the tax bands but is about tax at the higher rates. It is not only about Amendment No. 7 but is about Amendments Nos. 20 and 21. I understand that the cost of...
Mr Douglas Crawford: I was simply quoting from a letter. The point is that in Scotland in particular, if we are to create the sort of industry that we need and to regain our competitive industrial edge and retain and attract skilled managers, we must have a tax system which gives them more incentive. I am not talking about the land speculators, the multi-millionaires, the tertiary bankers and those who would...
Mr Douglas Crawford: I am talking about giving incentives to the people in industry who will create jobs for unskilled and semi-skilled people. That is where my party stands. If we give incentives to people on £7,000 to £8,000, which is, de facto, £9,000 to £11,000, they will create the jobs that we badly need in Scotland. I hold no brief for the CBI, but the chairman of the CBI's smaller firms working...
Mr Douglas Crawford: I was not talking about people in the £50,000-a-year income bracket. I was talking about people in the £8,000 to £11,000 bracket—the people who are the creators of jobs in this country. That is why I said that we would vote for Amendment No. 7 but against Amendment No. 20.
Mr Douglas Crawford: I am grateful to the Chair for grouping with Amendment No. 1 Amendment No. 2, which is in the names of my right hon. and hon. Friends and seeks to take 2p off the standard rate of income tax and not just 1p. This is a very important debate. However, such is the nature of the United Kingdom as a unitary economic State that after I have sat down the debate will no doubt continue to be...
Mr Douglas Crawford: I do not see what that has to do with the present case. Mr. Moran's company is in Newbridge and Linlithgow rather than in Linlithgow and Newbridge. He only recently took over the factory in Linlithgow of Signetics. It is Newbridge and Linlithgow and not the other way round. What Mr. Moran was actually saying was that in Scotland, even more than in other parts of the United Kingdom, we need...
Mr Douglas Crawford: We did not vote against the Budget or the Finance Bill because, along with many other Members of the House, we said that we would keep our powder dry and wait to see what happened. We threatened to vote against the Bill for the same reason as the Leader of the Opposition threatened to do so. We shall certainly vote for the 1p reduction. If we are successful, we shall seek to see what the...
Mr Douglas Crawford: Would the hon. Gentleman also ask his right hon. Friend whether he can give a substantive reply to another point, in addition to the point that he has raised? The House, in its wisdom, saw fit to delete the pay policy clause from the Scotland Bill. At present the pay policy will operate in England and Wales but not, after devolution with regard to a Scottish Assembly. Does not that also pose...
Mr Douglas Crawford: The people of Scotland pay income tax and corporation tax. I was saying that the existence of Scottish oil meant that we could lessen the standard rate and finance the additional PSBR without any serious problem.
Mr Douglas Crawford: The hon. Gentleman says that the amendment is just a modest step towards the levels of income tax that his party would like to see. May I take it from that that he will be supporting the SNP amendment for a 2p reduction of the standard rate?
Mr Douglas Crawford: asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next intends to meet the Governor of the Bank of England.
Mr Douglas Crawford: Will the Minister tell the Governor of the Bank of England that if the Government do not accede to the SNP demand that there be a 2p cut in the standard rate of income tax, the Budget strategy will be in ruins? Does the Minister understand that the SNP, unlike other parties in the House, is in deadly earnest about this?
Mr Douglas Crawford: If such a centre were to be established, would not Aberdeen be a better place for it than London?
Mr Douglas Crawford: asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet the President of the EEC.
Mr Douglas Crawford: Now that a precedent has been set, will the Minister tell the President of the EEC that no one from Scotland or England can be elected to the European Parliament unless he or she has at least 40 per cent. of the votes of his or her total electorate?